Smothered Turkey Burgers

As you may know, I stalk my friend Claire's blog on a daily basis. Sometimes, I just need meal inspiration and she always has interesting stuff on the menu. For example, she concocted these turkey burgers a few weeks ago. They looked so delicious, and I decided needed to branch out a little bit with ground turkey. I didn't follow her recipe exactly; but instead, used her idea as a blueprint and then went from there (mainly because I either had too much, not enough, or different ingredients on hand than what she used). Also, anything smothered in gravy is generally a good thing. I served our smothered turkey-goodness with a side of roasted broccoli and dinner was on the table. Thanks, Claire!

Smothered Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1 package (1.25 lbs.) of lean ground turkey
2 cartons (6 ozs.) of sliced mushrooms (I used button and crimini mushrooms; one carton of each)
1 onion, sliced (I actually used half of a red onion, and half of a white onion)
1 envelope of dry gravy mix (I used an organic variety I found at Whole Foods Market)
1/2 carton of beef broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary, divided
2 tsp paprika, divided
4 slices of low-fat 2% provolone cheese
1 tablespoon of additional oil for meat
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, combine turkey, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tsp of thyme (or rosemary, if using), 1 tsp of paprika, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Form into 4 patties and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey patties and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side (patties do not have to be cooked through). Remove patties to a platter. Top each patty with a slice of cheese and set aside.

In the same skillet, add onions and mushrooms with a big pinch of salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan as the mushrooms and onions sweat. When onions and mushrooms are slightly browned and softened, sprinkle dry gravy mix, 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of thyme (or rosemary) over the mixture. Stir to combine. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring every few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed.

Return patties back to skillet and spoon gravy mixture over the top. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for a few minutes; until patties are cooked through and cheese is melted. Remove cooked patties (topped with mushroom mixture), to a plate and serve immediately.



The Results:
These were really, really yummy. I think Claire's version may be a little easier, since my list of ingredients is a bit longer. Although, I did try to keep mine contained to cooking all in one pan...so I have that going for me. I added the additional spices, because I was going more for the flavors of salisbury steak. The spices were a good idea; the taste turned out exactly how I wanted it. Yum!
This was very easy to put together and so satisfying. All in all, we loved this new use for ground turkey.